1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a storage medium for storing a program to realize such the method, and a communication system, which can transmit and receive an image through a communication line.
2. Related Background Art
(First Background Art)
Conventionally, it has been known an image processing apparatus which utilizes one camera as an image input device of plural image reception terminals.
In such the apparatus, following methods can be provided to respond to various requests which are sent from the plural reception terminals and concern various photographing ranges.
For example, in one method, the camera is fitted with a fisheye lens, an image is photographed through the fisheye lens in a wide angle, the photographed image is divided into plural images in accordance with the photographing-range requests from the plural image reception terminals, peripheral distortion of the divided images are corrected, and the corrected images are utilized. In the other method, a universal head of the camera is made movable, an operation (or utilization) right of the camera is set, the operation right is time-divided, the time-divided right is allocated to each reception terminals, and then each terminal utilizes the camera during an allocated time.
(Second Background Art)
Further, it has been conventionally known a system which can receive a video camera image from a remote location and display the received image. In addition to the displaying of the camera image from the remote location, such the system can designate camera controlling parameters such as a pan angle, a tilt angle, zooming magnification and the like of the remote-location video camera.
For example, there is an image communication system in which a computer-controllable camera is connected to a server terminal (i.e., camera server terminal) operating under WWW (world wide web) on an internet, a real-time image obtained from the camera can be transmitted to a user terminal (i.e., image reception side) which accessed the server terminal, and further the camera can be controlled from the user terminal.
In such the system, as a method for a user to input a control signal for the camera controlling, it has been known a method that the camera controlling parameters such as the pan angle, the tilt angle, the zooming magnification and the like are directly designated as numerals from an input apparatus such as a keyboard or the like, or the camera controlling parameters are designated based on a software by adjusting a button or a scroll bar.
Also, it has been known a method that a map image or a wide visual field image previously provided on the camera server side is displayed on the user terminal side, and thus the user designates coordinate positions on the displayed image to designate the camera controlling parameters.
(Problem in First Background Art)
However, in the conventional method which uses the fisheye lens, since the image data photographed by the limited number of light reception elements such as CCD elements or the like is further divided and then utilized, resolution of the image which can be photographed by the fisheye lens itself must be previously made high, whereby cost increases.
Further, in the conventional method which allocates the operation right to each reception terminal, as the number of the reception terminals increases, the allocated time to each reception terminal is shortened.
(Problem in Second Background Art)
Further, in the conventional method, if communication speed for transmitting a video signal is low, or if process speed of the server terminal or the user terminal is low, it takes extra time to display on the user terminal an image which reflects the camera controlling parameters inputted by the user, whereby it is difficult for the user during such the time to know or grasp what kind of image is being within a photographable range.